Process of manufacturing iron direct from its oxids.



JAMES NJ WHITMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARCUS T. REYNOLDS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

PRES F NUIFATUHIINO LEON lREC'll" F IITS XIIDSu no. e2o,eae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented. May 15, 1906.

Application filed February 23, 1906. Serial No- 302,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES N. WHITMAN, a citizen of the United States, residin in Philadelphia, in the county of Philade phia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Processes of Manufacturing Tron Direct from its Oxids, of which the following is a specification. u i

The manufacture ,of wrought-iron direct from the ore while one of the earliest methods practiced has been largely superseded because of the increasing difficulties in securing ores of sufficient purity and richness to yield a good product, as well as because of the greater expense of such processes as com-- pared with other processes of manufacturing both iron and steel in general practice at the present day. For illustration, the product of the Catalan forge was of notably superior quality where pure ores were used with charcoal as fuel but recent developments in blastfurnace practice have so reduced the cost of pig-iron that the puddling-furnacesnow furnish practically all of the wrought-iron, and although cheaper it is not of equal quality and is not sufficiently cheap to successfully complete with steel even for purposes for which wrought-iron would be preferable.

The object of the present invention is to cheapen and improve the process of manufacture direct from the ore and whereby when desired lower grades of ore and ore not readily available for other processes without treatment may be successfully utilized in the production of both wrought-iron and steel.

In accordance with the present invention ore maybe supplied from any of the lar e deposits of lean and impure iron ore to be ound 1n many sections of the country, and as a re liminary st?) such ore is comminute by crushing an mechanically separated or concentrated, whereby such impurities as can be mechanically separated are eliminated. The comminutionof the ore is such as to render it unfit for use in a blast-furnace or forge, and

this material orlore is in accordance with the present invention further purified by the elimination of its volatile im urities through the agency of heat under oxi izing conditions and with or without the addition of proper chemical reagents, as the case may require, after which it is subjected to heat and a itation under deoxidizing conditions.

ture and volatile impurities.

treatment results in agglomerating the mate rial into masses adapted to be handled commercially. The material under treatment is then subjected to a higher temperature and the gangue content fused, so that the product may be balled, squeezed, hammered, or rolled into bars of merchantable form.

The invention may be carried into practice withknown apparatus, and many forms will atonce suggest themselves-such, for instance, as a succession of rotary furnaces through which the material passes in succession, or a single rotary furnace may be employed by simply changing the atmosphere and temperature to suit the diflerent stages in the process. While the former would perhaps best meet commercial requirements, the latter is well adapted for the manipulation of small batches or for demonstration.

As a concrete illustration of the invention the ore is first crushed to a fine powder and then concentrated magnetically or by the use of Waterjigs, concentrators, washers, or leaching devices. The crushed concentrate (Washed or leached material) is then carried,

referably by mechanical means, to a rotary rnace, into which it is fed in. an oxidizing atmosphere for the purpose of expelling mois- For the complete removal or elimination of remaining impurities suitable reagents, such as a very small uantity of lime, may be added, preferably after the more volatile impurities have been drivenoif and during the maintenance of the oxidizing atmosphere. To deoxldlze, carburize, and agglomerate and reduce or partially reduce, additions of carbonaceous material carrying free carbon may be made, or the atmosphere of the furnace is otherwise changed by charging it with free carbon to a deoxidizing atmosphere of a reducing character and carrying carbon in excess. dition is continued until the proper reaction has taken place, when for the complete reduction the atmosphere is changed to one of higher temperature and ma nta ned untll the charge is reduced, the separation of the molten 'gangue or scoria and the balhng being effected mechanically by the rotary action of the furnace, after which the material may be taken to a hammer or squeezer, the molten cinder and slag ex elled therefrom, and the .loup or bloom ma e ready for the finishing operation of the rolls or forging-hammer.

Obviously the process may be arrested before the charge is subjected to the final hightemperature conditions inthe furnace, under Which circumstances the material Will be found to be agglomerated in masses of appreciable size, usually in the form of What is known as "sponge, being Well adapted for melting stock for open-hearth furnaces. The material at this'stage is carburized, partially deoxidized, and partially reduced and might Well be utilized in any of the Well-known I forms of puddling plants, the puddling oper ation simply consisting in melting the gangue content, thereby finishing the process of reduction and balling the metallic iron, as usual.

The present process avoids the necessity ofv the product may be utilized not alone in the manufacture of Wrought-iron, but. also in the manufacture of iron and steel in accordance with Well-known practice.

What I claim is- 1. The improvement in processes of manufacturing iron direct from its ores, which consists in subjecting the ore to heat under oxidizing conditions to eliminate volatile impurities, and as a successive step, subjecting the purified ore to heat and agitation under deoxidizing and carburizin conditions produced by the introduction 0 free carbon, to partially deoxidize, carburize, partially reduce and agglomerate the ore into coherent masses.

2. The improvement in processes of manufacturing iron direct from its ores, which consists in comminuting and mechanically purifying the ore, then subjecting the comminuted ore to heat under oxidizing conditions to eliminate volatile impurities, then subjecting the ore to heat and agitation under deoxidizing and carburizing conditions producedby the introduction of free carbon, to artially deoxidize, partially reduce and aggl bmerate the oreinto coherent masses. V

3. The improvement in processes of manu-, facturing iron direct from 1ts ores, which con sistsin subjecting the ore to heat under oxidizingconditions'to eliminate volatile impuriw ties, then subjecting the ore to heatandagi: tation under deoxidizing and carburizing conditions produced by the introduction of free carbon, to partially deoxidize, partially re duce and agglomerate the ore into coherent masses and then subjecting the product to higher-temperature and reducing conditions to effect complete reduction.

4. The improvement in processes of manufacturing iron direct from its ores, which consists in comminuting and mechanically puritying the ore, then subjecting the comminuted ore to heat under oxidizing conditions to eliminate volatile impurities, then subjecting the ore to heat and agitation under deoxidizing and carburizing conditions produced by the introduction oi' free carbon, topartially deoxidize, partially reduce and agglomerate the ore into coherent masses andthemsubjecting the product to higherrtemperature and reducing conditions to efi'ect complete reduction.

5. The improvement in processes of manufacturin iron direct from its ores which con? I 0 a sists in sub ecting the'ore to heat under, OX1- dizing conditions and in the presence of areagent for the removal and elimination of 1 1m" purities and as a successive step sub ecting the purified ore to heat. and agitation under deoXidizin and carburizing GOIltlll'tlOIlS reduced "'1 0 by the introduction 0 ee carbon, topaztiall deoxldize carb ire nartlall reduce and agglomerate the ore into coherent masses.

6. The improvement in processes ofmanufacturing iron direct from its ores, which consists in subjecting the ore to .heat under-oxidizing conditions to eliminate the more Vela tile impurities, then adding a reagent in the presence of heat to remove and eliminate remaining impurities, then subjecting the ore, to heat and agitation under deoxidizin and carburizing conditions produced by the introduction of free carbon, to partially deoxidize, partially reduce and agglomerate. the ore into coherent masses.

7. The improvementdn processes of'manufacturing iron direct from its ores,- which consists in subjecting the ore-to .heat under-oxidizing conditions .to eliminate the more volatile impurities, then adding a reagentin,the, presence of heat to remove andelimmate r emaining impurities, then subjecting theore to heat and agitationunder-deoxidlzmgand carburizing conditions produced by the introduction bffree carbon, to partially deoxidiw, partially reduce and agglomerate. the ore into coherentmasses, then subjecting the product to higher-temperature andreducing condi tions to effect-complete reduction,

JAMES N, WHITMAN. Witnesses:

THoM 's. DURANT, ALEXANDER S.: STEWARIT, 

